Children's
Treasure Box
Vol. 1-4

In 1987, national music educators surveyed by The Piano Quarterly, voted Svoboda's CHILDREN'S TREASURE BOX piano series to be among the 40 most important composer collections of the 20th century for teaching piano at the elementary and intermediate levels.

"...a talent to be reckoned with."
-- San Francisco Examiner

"...beautifully recorded...all well-crafted...memorable moments...propulsive flourishes..."
-- Brett Campbell, Eugene Weekly

"...skillfully made...exciting virtuosity...brilliant scherzo..."
-- American Record Guide, re: "Four Visions for One, Two and Three Pianos."

"Ever since we got our first look at some of his music we have been convinced of his marvelous talent."
-- The Piano Quarterly

"...with lots of catchy tunes and rhythmic twists augmenting the expected pianistic virtuosity. There's considerable variety in tempo and energy-level, but the mood is typically straightforward and unexaggerated, and the style is a consistent, easily approachable, modern-but-conservative idiom based on enriched tonal harmonies and traditional procedures and textures."
-- American Record Guide

"...as talented in playing the piano as he is in writing for it."
-- Los Angeles Times

"...bridges the gap between tonal and atonal music..."
"...dramatic and often texturally complex."
"...a totally personal and very interesting musical voice."
-- David Denton, Fanfare Magazine

"...a neoclassic clarity and panache not so distant from, say... Prokofieff and Shostakovich -- though Svoboda doesn't really sound much like them, or anyone else, for the matter... sparkling, witty, sometimes lyrical, sometimes percussive, but never grand or showy."
-- Lehman, American Record Guide, March/April 2002

For More information, sound clips & scores:

www.TomasSvoboda.com

STREAMING AUDIO SAMPLES

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Vol. 1

[#2] "Miniature Waltz"

LISTEN MP3 (32kbps) Audio Stream

[#3] "Tiny Watermill"

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[#4] "Czech Carol"

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[#6] "Mirror"

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[#9] "Church Bells"

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[#10] "Rocking Chair"

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[#11] "Black Keys"

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[#14] "Melody and Chord"

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[#15] "Parallel Fourths"

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[#16] "A Bird"

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[#17] "Snow Reflections"

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[#18] "Echo"

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[#19] "A Toy Soldier"

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[#20] "Fanfare"

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Vol. 2

[#22] "Pastorale"

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[#23] "Song of a Mariner"

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[#24] "Golden Harp"

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[#25] "A Folk Tune"

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[#26] "Grandfather Clock"

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[#27] "Solo Trumpet"

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[#29] "The Bear's Dance"

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[#30] "Prelude"

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[#31] "Russian Dance"

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[#32] "Autumn"

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[#33] "Jumping Rope"

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[#34] "A Giant"

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[#35] "A Star"

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[#36] "Rain Shower"

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[#37] "Passenger Coach"

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Vol. 3

[#38] "A Prayer"

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[#39] "Little Capriccio"

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[#40] "Key Signatures"

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[#41] "Spectrum"

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[#42] "A Mist"

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[#43] "Song of the South"

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[#44] "A Puppet"

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[#45] "Bright Day"

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[#46] "Carefree"

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[#47] "Unfinished Phrase"

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[#48] "Meditation"

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[#49] "Parallel Sixths"

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Vol. 4

[#51] "Chorale"

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[#52] "A La Scherzo"

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[#53] "Parallel Thirds"

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[#54] "Cathedral"

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[#55] "Counting Rests"

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[#56] "In Unison"

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[#57] "Loneliness"

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[#58] "In Harmonic Minor"

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[#59] "Between Two Keys"

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[#60] "Happy Child"

LISTEN MP3 (32kbps) Audio Stream

There are four volumes in the Children's Treasure Box series and each of the 60 compositions are on this CD. Each piece in the series becomes progressively more difficult and there is a keen eye on pedagogy throughout the volumes. Not only are the typical note and rhythm lessons present, but each piece also deals with some sort of expression or articulation.

These are fun little pieces that will engage and entertain young beginners. The ideas presented in each piece are not dumbed down in any way (melodic inversion is discussed in piece #6 - Mirror, for example). These are playful pieces that educate (piece #33 - Jumping Rope deals with staccato and legato contrast; piece #44 - A Puppet introduces polytonality) and I think there is charm and wit for any level of pianist. Some of the more serious pieces may be a bit moribund for a young performer but there is so much fun music to play that it hardly seems relevant to mention (even though I mention it). These pieces never quite break into the intensity of the last volumes of the Mikrokosmos but that shouldn't be seen as a detractor of the collection. I think any piano educator should have these pieces in their bag for their students.

As a recording beyond its pedagogical value, I enjoy it. Mr. Svoboda's playing is expressive and simple, just as it should be for a project like this. I've had it playing in the background since it arrived in the mail and it makes very nice light listening. Parents will enjoy hearing their children practice these pieces, too. That is a more important facet of this music than some people might thinkŠ

Jay Batzner July 24th, 2007 - © 2007 Sequenza21/

Tomas Svoboda's works are heard
on the NPM recordings:

Chamber Works - The Definitive Collection - beautifully packaged 5 disc set of Svoboda's NPM releases

Chamber Works - Vol.1 With Clarinet - composer at the piano with Michael Anderson and members of OFAM

Nine Etudes in Fugue Style - composer at the piano

Four Visions, Music for 1, 2 and 3 Pianos - composer at the piano with David Svec and Daniel Wiesner

PianoTrios - Members of the Martinu String Qt. w/ the composer at the piano (recipient of a 2001 American Record Guide Critics' Choice Award)

Piano Works Vol. 1 - composer at the piano

Music from Bohemia - Trio Spektrum

Dreams of a Dancer - Trio Spektrum

Piano Four Hands - Tomassetti & Cooper